At a time when state lawmakers are dealing with fallout from state budget cuts and struggling to find money to fix deteriorating roads and bridges, a Channel 4 Action News investigation uncovered some expenses inside the Capitol building government watchdogs say are wasteful.

Since 2009, taxpayers have paid for lawmakers in both the House and Senate to hand out more than 39,000 citations. These are printed awards, presented in padded covers with embossed House or Senate seals and a picture of the chambers on the inside cover, handed out for everything from anniversaries to retirements to milestone birthdays. Our review of House and Senate contracts shows taxpayers have paid $326,824 for those covers. And the total cost of handing out citations is higher -- that figure is only for the covers and doesn't include the salaries of capitol staffers who type up the awards, or printing costs. (Photos: Tax dollars wasted at capitol)

"When you are doing things on behalf of the people of Pennsylvania, yes, it is," Miskin said.

Even high-ranking lawmakers didn’t seem to be aware of just how many citations are being handed out at taxpayer expense. In fact, we found no one is keeping tabs on how many of the awards are being handed out.

"I wasn't aware of how many citations the House has purchased. That is something we probably ought to look at," said Rep. Frank Dermody, an Allegheny County Democrat.

"Are these just freebies for you to hand out to grease the palms of constituents to help you get re-elected?" Belanger asked Dermody.

"I think if you have a member of your community who has done great work, and you can acknowledge that, I think it's appropriate and makes them feel better," Dermody said.

Government watchdog Eric Epstein, of Rock The Capital, said the unmonitored awarding of citations at taxpayers' expense is an example of how Pennsylvania's Legislature "has grown to the point where it's totally out of control."

Another contract shows state lawmakers spent $5,192 for two exercise bikes for the Capitol fitness center located in the East Wing, and off-limits to the public.

We also followed up on one of our previous investigations into lawmaker spending and found lawmakers in the Senate are still charging taxpayers for weekly deliveries of bottled water to the Capitol building. Since 2008, our review of records shows the Senate has spent $87,750 on water deliveries.

"I wasn't aware of the amount being spent on bottled water," Costa said.

The Blue Spring water bottles are all over the Capitol building. The contract explains 80 bottles are delivered to the Capitol building twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Fridays.

"Most people who are trying to get by day to day don't have the ability to bill someone else for bottled water,” Epstein said.

At least one senator made it seem like the expense was just a drop in the bucket.

"If you want a comment about whether we have water in there or not, I mean, should we have water? I mean, basically, we use it for tea or coffee," said Pittsburgh-area Republican Sen. Randy Vulakovich.

By law, Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale doesn't have authority to audit the General Assembly’s expenses. But we asked him to weigh-in on what we found.

"Do you buy that? That it's just a drop in the bucket and it's not worth looking at?" Belanger asked DePasquale. "When you add up all the drops, pretty soon you get a bucket," Depasquale replied.

Another contract shows lawmakers in the House are charging taxpayers for their morning newspaper deliveries to the tune of $63,405.85 since 2010. In 2013, the cost is $13,807.65.

Rep. Joe Markosek, an Allegheny County Democrat, spent the most on newspapers, according to our review of House contracts. Documents show Markosek is charging taxpayers for $2,790.90 for five subscriptions to papers like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, including higher-priced Sunday editions.

"It's such a relatively small expenditure. I'm personally from the old school and like a newspaper. I'm not one for reading newspapers or books online. I like my newspaper," Markosek said when questioned about the expense in Harrisburg.

"I read those newspapers every day. I think it's important for lawmakers to know what's going on in the world," Dermody said.

"Could you read them online?" Belanger asked.

"I'm old-fashioned and like to hold them. But we should look at reading them online," Dermody said.

"We do not need to be buying politicians newspapers," Epstein said.

Epstein said while the expense may seem tiny compared to the state's $28 billion state budget, it's a matter of principle.

"Twelve-and-a-half million other Pennsylvanians who make less than what these lawmakers make find a way to dig into their pockets and buy their own newspaper," Epstein said.

"We can't just snap our fingers and say, 'No more newspapers tomorrow,' but we are cutting back," Miskin said.

But that's exactly what DePasquale said he did when he took office. He cut off the office's $16,000-a-year newspaper order. Now, he reads the news on his cellphone, which he pays for himself.

"We eliminated those. We look at them online. You can look at my own personal phone, and I have all the apps on my phone for the state papers that have the apps," DePasquale said.

We also found four contracts from the past four years approving the Senate to spend up to $208,000 for a professional photographer to snap photos of senators with tour groups visiting the capitol.

Our questions about the expense caught some top lawmakers off-guard, because the Senate already has photographers on staff.

"It's something we need to take a look at. I know we have a photographer who takes pictures of Democratic members in the caucus on request,” Costa said.

"You're surprised to see this?" Belanger asked.

"I'm surprised to see something along those lines," Costa said.

But the photographer, Joe Hottenstein, with Locust Grove Art & Photography Studio in Bainbridge, said he has taken Costa's photo before. When we asked to see some of the photos to show taxpayers what they received for the money, top Senate officials refused to release the images.

After Westmoreland County Republican Sen. Kim Ward learned of our investigation, she sent a statement, writing, "I was as surprised as you to find out that this guy was a private contractor because I just naturally assumed he was a state employee, and I'm really glad the Senate Administration ended his contract last March."

In fact, the Senate chose not to renew the long-standing contract this year to save money.

Epstein said that's a good first step, but there's more cutting that lawmakers could do to their own budgets.

"The problem is the basic attitude has not changed, and that is legislators can spend taxpayer dollars however they want," he said.

Tax Dollars Wasted at the Pennsylvania State Capitol by Elected Officials

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Channel 4 Action news scoured hundreds of state contracts initiated by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and the Senate of Pennsylvania.

3 Action News investigates how OUR elected officials Are spending OUR tax dollars. A timely topic on this election day. ACTION NEWS REPORTER MATT BELANGER DUG THROUGH HUNDREDS OF STATE CONTRACTS. TONIGHT -- WHY WHAT HE FOUND -- PROMPTED A ROAD TRIP TO HARRISBURG! 3 3 3 WE TRIED TO ASK 3 HIGH- RANKING HOUSE REPUBLICAN MIKE TURZAI OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY ABOUT EXPENSES.BUT WHEN HE REAZLIED WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT ......HE WALKED AWAY FROM OUR CAMERA!!!...AND HAD A SPOKESPERSON ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS INSTEAD. STEVE: When you are 3 doing things on behalf of the people of Pennsylvania, yes it is.")BOTH SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES 3 HAND OUT CITATIONS-- TO COMMEMORATE EVERYTHING FROM 50TH ANNIVERSARYS TO RETIREMENTS.THOUSAND DOLLAR COST WE FOUND 3 COVERS.THE SALARIES OF WHO TYPE THEM UP... OR PRINTING COSTS!EVEN áTOPá 3 LAWMAKERS DON'T SEEM TO BE AWARE OF JUST HOW MANY OF THESE CITATIONS OUT-- AT YOUR EXPENSE! 3 HERE'S SOMETHING 3 ELSE WE FOUND YOU PAID FOR-- WE CAN'T SHOW THEM TO YOU BECAUSE THEY'RE BEHIND THESE LOCKED DOORS.BUT THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES RECENTLY SPENT MORE THAN 5- THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR TWO EXERCISE BIKES FOR THE CAPITOL BUILDING'S OFF- LIMITS TO THE PUBLIC.WE ALSO FOLLOWED 3 UP ON A PREVIOUS CHANNEL 4 ACTION NEWS INVESTIGATION. 3 THE BIG BLUE 3 BOTTLES ARE ALL OVER THE CAPITOL BUILDING.SINCE 2008-- YOU'VE PAID 87 THOUSAND 750 DOLLARS FOR WATER FOR SENATE OFFICES. 3 AT LEAST ONE SENATOR MADE IT SEEM LIKE THE WELL...JUST A DROP IN THE BUCKET. 3 3 and we're not finished-- Our investigation continues at 6 o'clock... When we uncover an everyday expense you probably don't think twice about paying-- but lawmakers in the state house are passing the bill to you for theirs. I'm Matt

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